BY ROQUE DIAS | NT NETWORK
MARGAO: The government scheme of mid-day meal is proving to be a blessing for school students. In fact, at some places, along with the students, a few teachers also take benefit of this scheme.
However, there are some quarters from where discontent is being voiced. When the Navhind Times approached schools in the Salcete block, many teachers expresses their reluctance in serving the mid-day meal or taking charge of overseeing the supply of meals to their respective schools. Some termed it as to do ‘over work’.
"It is a tedious job to check the quantity sent by the suppliers daily. It is like a policing job, which is being added to our regular duties of teaching. Secondly, it is difficult to serve the meals to all the students within 30 minutes (the duration of recess time)," a teacher said. Larger the number of students, more the times taken in serving the meals, stated yet another.
When asked to comment whether some teachers also consume these meals, which are actually meant for the students, a school authority shot back saying, "Teachers taste the food before it is given to the students so as to approve the quality". The Assistant District Education Inspector (ADEI), in charge of mid-day meals in the Salcete block, Mr A V Kudalkar confirmed that there was no formal complaint from the teachers that they face difficulties in serving the food or checking the quantity and the quality of the food served. He stated that if any teacher or school authority had a problem, then they should voice their grievance to the concerned along with the names of the aggrieved. "It is part of the teacher’s duty to help in the smooth functioning of the scheme and there should not be any complaint on the issue,’’ Mr Kudalkar stated firmly. Some teachers said they feared voicing their grievance for fear of being transferred to remote places.
Mr Kudalkar said that out of 142 schools from the Salcete block, around 45 schools were provided with weighing machine so that the teachers can weigh the food containers and check the quantity. The teachers’ however argued that the machines were actually sent to check the weight of the students. Mr Kudalkar informed that nearly 14,000 students of the total 16,000, spread in 142 schools which includes the high schools, government primary schools and aided schools, availed of the benefits of the mid day meals daily. However, interestingly, 2000 odd students mainly from coastal areas and some city schools were not interested in such government sponsored mid-day meal. "They are from wealthy families. They carry food from home and their food is more nutritious,’ a teacher from a city school confessed.
Mr Kudalkar however reserved his comment on this point. He said "it is the parent’s choice and it is not compulsorily for the student to eat the mid-deal meals." He added that there are many children in the government primary schools who totally depend on these mid-day meals. The real importance of the meals will be known only when school hours are increased a few opined. Talking about the contents if the mid-day food, Mr Kudalkar said that in a week, twice a week Bhaji-pav was served, twice a week Sheera was served while on the remaining two days, pulav was served to the students. He went on to say that a few students even bring pickle from home in order to eat it along with the pulav.
Many members of the Parents Teachers Association told this reporter that many students were not keen to eat the sheera served to them, as they complained of its poor taste and as a result consequently many a times the sheera gets wasted. ADEI incharge, Mr Kudalkar says that the scheme runs smoothly without any problems. The suppliers send the food to the respective schools in time—10 to 10.30 a.m. regularly. He said that the menu is prepared by the Home Science department and that each month the samples of the meals are sent for a chemical analysis to the College of Home Science. That apart, the Food and Nutrition officers too, pay surprise visits
to check the quality of the supplied
food. "All this is aimed to improve the quality of food to the students,’’ he
added. The ADEI in charge further disclosed that each student is given a meal costing
Rs 3.83 paise (for primary school students and Rs 5.32 for students in the high
school and in order to compensate the suppliers, 100 grams of rice and 100 grams of wheat was given for every student of primary and 150 grams of rice and wheat for each high school student, by the department of Education through the Civil Supply department.
